Gov. Tony Evers today called on President Donald Trump to listen to farmers and put an end to the unnecessary trade war between the United States and international partners, including China.

"The never-ending tariffs are having a direct, negative impact on many industries in our state, but perhaps none more than agriculture," Evers said in the Aug. 12 letter.

With one out of every nine people in the state working in a job related to agriculture, an $88 billion industry in the state, a ripple effect can be felt across the state

Gov. Evers knows that when our farmers thrive, our rural communities thrive, and the ripple effect continues across our entire state, Evers said in the letter.

Tony Evers(Photo: Submitted)

"Unfortunately, farmers of all commodities have been hit by a triple whammy of trade uncertainty, low selling prices for their products, and bad weather," said Evers. "This has put many Wisconsin farm families into extremely difficult situations. They’ve lost income, business, and the confidence in knowing that their contributions are valued by their government."

In the letter, Gov. Evers noted that, “One Tweet can harm thousands of Wisconsin citizens who make their living in our agricultural industry. As many farmers will tell you, aid payments cannot make up for what they’ve lost financially or personally. A government check simply does not make up for the pride they felt knowing they were getting a fair price for their high-quality corn, soybeans, or ginseng.”

Evers is focused on maintaining Wisconsin’s successful relationships abroad and investing in programs that help Wisconsin producers gain access to global markets and improve their presence in local ones.

“Farmers want trade more than government aid,” Evers wrote. “They deserve better than short-sighted trade wars that do lasting damage to their businesses and their heritage. They have told us what we can do to support them, and tariffs are not on the list.”

Republican National Committee spokeswoman Mandi Merritt said Trump is helping farmers by negotiating better trade deals and contended Evers was hurting the state's business climate.

“Finally we have a president who is getting tough on China and is serious about leveling the playing field for Wisconsin workers," Merritt said in a statement.

Patrick Marley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this article.